“I’m not sure we need to be so militaristic about it,” Kim said, glancing over her shoulder.
Jessie looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
Kim broke from Bishop’s embrace. “I’ve been working with Bonnie and Anthony for three days. They’ve been nothing but gracious. And we wouldn’t have any of this if not for their help.”
Bryant stared at her for a moment. “Are you sure you haven’t gotten a little too close to the people you’re working with? Remember, these are Burke’s employees. You have no idea what kind of shady projects they’ve taken part in.”
“I’ve thought about it,” Kim replied with a nod. “And I trust them. They have a request.”
“I knew it,” Bryant said.
“While Bonnie didn’t outright say it,” Kim rushed into her explanation, “what we guessed is true about Burke. He’s got something on them. They’re desperate and scared.”
“We’re not letting him go,” the soldier said with gruff finality in his tone.
“That’s not what I’m suggesting,” Kim assured him. “They just want to see him and talk to him. It’s been three days, and they don’t even know if he’s alive.”
Jessie stared at Kim. “I’m grateful for your and Bonnie’s work. But we agreed we wouldn’t make any concessions until we have vials of serum and vaccine in front of us.”
“That was before I got a chance to work with them.”
“Two of them,” Bryant reminded her. “We don’t know much about Mueller or anyone else.”
“We can balk,” Kim huffed, “but what if they withhold the vials?”
“Then it’s a war,” the soldier pointed out. “We’ve got the firepower, and we can shut this place down if we want.”
“Whoa, man.” Bishop came to Kim’s defense. “No one wants a war. Maybe we should show them a little good faith.”
“We have,” the soldier said. “By not putting a bullet into Burke’s head. Which we’ve all wanted to do at one time or another.”
“Just give them fifteen minutes with him,” Kim argued back.
The group stewed in anger, reiterating their points, until Savannah’s hesitant voice entered the fray.
“Not that my opinion counts,” she said, “but I agree with Bishop and Kim. I wouldn’t be here today if Kim hadn’t given me a chance. And we’re still working on building trust to this day. Look how far we’ve come.”
“I can’t believe I have to explain this.” Bryant’s tone was rough as he glared at everyone. “Take that piece of tape off Burke’s mouth, and he could try to override the system with a password we’re not aware of.”
“The microphone inside the room would be turned off,” Kim said.
“It doesn’t mean anything.” Bryant shook his head. “That’s why we put him in a room at the end of a long hall. That’s why we covered the touchscreen with thick padding and tape. That’s why we have him on twenty-four-hour guard.”
Jessie put her feet on the floor and stepped between the two. “I get what you’re saying.” She put her hand on Bryant’s chest. “You want to see your wife, and it’s probably driving you crazy that she’s so close.” She shifted her attention to Kim. “And I see what you’re saying, too. We can’t develop trust unless we make some concessions. We need to reassure the Redpine people here that we’re on their side. Maybe we can even open a dialogue to help them.”
Jessie looked around at the group, the wheels spinning inside her brain. “I think I have a plan to get this done, but it’s going to take some cooperation.”
Kim and Bryant exchanged pensive glances, their tempers dwindling to a low boil.
The soldier turned to her and nodded. “What do you have in mind?”
*
Dex and Jessie sat on her bed after the others had gone. She rubbed the knuckles of her good hand on her leg to work off some of the nervousness.
“Bryant seems hell-bent on arming up with their rifles.” Dex said. “I can see his point. If Mueller finds out they’re about to land a helicopter in his front yard, he’ll bring his troops.”
“If Kim comes through, he won’t find out,” Jessie said. “It’s going to take some finesse, but we can do it. Once we have Melissa and her crew inside, we’ll let the Redpine folks talk to Burke. Everyone will get what they want.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen Kim and Bryant argue like that before. I’m a little worried.”
“He just wants to see his wife,” Dex said. He gently nudged her with his shoulder. “I mean, after being apart for so long and finding out she was alive. Can’t blame him for that.”
“I don’t.” She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“And Kim is making friends with the scientists here.”
“That also concerns me.”
“It should encourage you,” Dex countered. “You’ll need these people in the long run. That’s why I think your suggestion will work. It looks less like an assault and more like cooperation. Mueller is going to be pissed. I mean, he’ll feel things are getting out of control, but he doesn’t seem like the type of commander to fly off the handle. And we can say we had Bonnie’s permission to land the chopper.”
“So, it was a good solution?”
“Totally.”
Jessie nodded, satisfied but still unsure. Kim and Bryant were her friends, and she hated to see them at odds. They’d need everyone on the same page and working together to make and distribute the cure.
They needed Kim to provide the vials, Melissa to take as much as she could carry back west, and Bryant’s military experience to protect them. It seemed like far too much to wish for.
Jessie rested her head against Dex’s shoulder and took a deep, steadying breath.
Chapter 27
Bishop, Redpine Facility, Little Rock, Arkansas
The halls were quiet, all the kids ordered back to their rooms. The adults stood by the guard post, seeing Bishop and Bryant off.
The two men lingered in the cafeteria. They’d armed themselves with pistols but otherwise remained in their standard issue whites.
Jessie stepped up to them with a nod. “Get outside hard and fast. Bring our guests inside before Mueller has any idea what’s happening. By the time he figures it out, we’ll have feet on the ground. You’re not armed with rifles, and you’ll have Bonnie with you. You shouldn’t run into any trouble.”
Bishop glanced over at Bryant with a steely-eyed look.
“I’ve got one of the handhelds,” the soldier replied. “We’ll have the mic on, so you can hear what’s happening. If Brewer gets cold feet and won’t open the door, clear our path.”
Jessie held up her device and nodded. She stepped back even as Kim came forward to stand in front of Bishop.
“Good luck, you guys.” She raised herself on her toes and gave her husband a kiss on his cheek.
He hugged her in return and stepped back to look over those who’d be guarding the hall. Kim, Jessie, and Dex, with Weissman and Garcia standing watch at Burke’s door. “Be ready if Mueller tries to rescue his boss.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Jessie replied.
“Work with Bonnie,” Kim’s gaze shifted between the two. “Make her feel comfortable, and she’ll be your best ally. You’ll be back inside with Moe and Melissa before you know it.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Bryant turned and marched through to the rec room.
Bishop winked at his wife and followed the soldier, nervous knots forming in his gut. They entered the elevator and hit the button for the motor pool. Then they turned and faced the front, standing in silence as the car moved past the public floors and stopped at the entrance level. The doors slid open, and the pair stepped out to see Bonnie Brewer waiting for them in the lobby.
Bishop almost didn’t recognize her without her lab coat on. She wore the standard Redpine whites, only hers seemed an older shade of gray.
“Greetings gentlemen.” She didn’t offer her hand. “I’ll assume you�
�re my escorts?”
“That’s right,” Bishop said. “You’ll open the door, and we’ll make the call. Then we’ll go wait for our people.”
“And there are only four, correct?” Bonnie’s cold blue eyes stared through him, studying him, searching for a lie.
“Yes. Three are soldiers who were stationed in Arizona. The last man is a Native American who needs the serum to save his people. Trust me when I say you’d be doing his tribe a huge favor.”
“And as soon as your people are inside, our delegation gets to speak with Burke?”
“Yes, ma’am. Twenty minutes. You have our word.”
The woman studied the two for a moment before she stiffened with a sharp intake of air. “Very well, then. Let’s get this over with.”
They followed her down the sterile-looking corridor to the entrance foyer and a rack of air filtration masks. The ventilation units were set to full blast, causing ripples of cool air to float across his skin. They each pulled off a mask and slipped it over their heads. Bishop adjusted the fit and glanced around the lobby while Bonnie situated hers.
The chief scientist fiddled with her straps until satisfied and then looked up. “Ready, gentlemen?”
The two big men nodded.
She pressed her hand against the security reader, and the doors slid open. They walked into the motor pool lot, their slippers brushing on the concrete.
“It’s dark in here,” Bishop said, noting he could barely see halfway across the lot.
“They turn the lights down when we don’t have expected visitors,” Bonnie explained.
“It’s this blue bus.” Bryant angled directly toward Kim’s CDC lab bus.
The soldier strode up and slipped on an earpiece. “AMI, open the door, please.”
Kim had given the soldier access to the Automated Management Interface prior to their arrival. At his command, the door slid open, and he jogged up the stairs and disappeared inside.
Three minutes later, Bryant stepped down, giving Bishop a firm nod. “I made the call. They’re on their way.”
They continued toward the tunnel that marked the mountain’s entrance. The chief scientist strode to a panel set into the wall. It was the standard touchscreen they used in the rooms. She punched in a code on the surface with her finger and gestured for them to follow her.
As they walked along the fifty-yard-long tunnel, they saw the massive doors swing open.
The mountain air rushed in, running warm through Bishop’s hair. He shook off a shiver, put his head down, and kept going. The soldier moved anxiously, his limp barely noticeable as his eyes scanned the brightness ahead. Once inside the courtyard, they waited quietly, faces raised to the sky.
Bishop understood Bryant’s worry. He probably couldn’t believe he was about to see his wife after weeks and months being apart. The soldier strolled out toward the center of the courtyard, and he followed him. Bonnie lingered near the door.
“I know how you feel,” Bishop said with a sideways glance. “It killed me trying to reach of Kim via satellite phone in the beginning. Then she tried to get me to stay in Ft. Collins until she came. I finally said to hell with it, jumped in the Stryker, and took matters into my own hands.”
Bryant gave a hesitant smile. “Thanks, man. Hey, I didn't mean to argue with her earlier.”
“No, it’s all good,” he said with a shake of his head. “We’re all trying to make the best decisions we can. I’m honestly happy for you, and I can’t wait to meet Melissa.”
Bryant nodded and turned his face upward.
Bishop thought he heard the distant sounds of rotors echoing up the winding road toward them. He imagined a commercial helicopter, probably on its last legs, barely able to stay in the air after the thousand-mile flight from Arizona.
That’s why it confused him when he heard the sound of running boots until he realized they came from behind him. He and Bryant spun at the same time, hands reaching back for their pistols.
Bonnie stood by the door. “Sorry, guys. I want to help you, but I had to let Jens know. I couldn’t betray my people here.”
She wore a hopeful expression as she backed into the tunnel’s darkness and a dozen soldiers jogged out, forming a semi-circle around them. Mueller strode out last, chest puffed and arms hanging wide at his side. A scowl twisted his face as he marched stiffly toward Bishop and Bryant.
“What is the meaning of this?” he asked in a thick accent. “I get a surprise communication from Mrs. Brewer that my front gates are wide open, and troops are marching in?”
“It’s a man who needs the vaccine for his people,” Bryant explained, taking his hand off his pistol. “And an escort of support troops. United States Marines under General Walsh. They’re flying in from Chinle, Arizona.”
“And why did I not know about this?”
“We made Bonnie aware,” Bishop gestured to the woman standing inside the tunnel. “She opened the doors for us.”
“But I told you explicitly to notify me if you needed assistance. Yet you went behind my back. Thankfully, Mrs. Brewer is a loyal member of Redpine and thought it wise to alert me.”
The soldiers held their rifle barrels pointed at the ground, but their glares said they meant business. Bishop glanced up to see they’d gotten the attention of the guards upon the wall. Two stood on each side with their guns at the ready.
The sounds of helicopter rotors pulsed in the distance, cutting the air with leaden beats.
Bryant was about to reply when he saw something past Mueller. His eyes went wide, and he stepped back. He drew his pistol before anyone could react. “What’s she doing here,” the soldier growled.
He jerked his attention to the tunnel, watching as a lithe figure strode from the darkness. It looked like she’d been in the middle of a workout. Moisture glistened on her warm, bronzed skin. Her black eyes glanced over Bishop and lighted on Bryant like a cat who’d just caught a mouse out in the open.
It was the woman he’d seen back in Memphis.
“Miss Rosales is part of my security detail.” Mueller stared at Bryant’s gun before he tossed a glance over his shoulder. “I understand you have met in the field, but I assure you, we’re on neutral ground here.”
“Back her off.”
“I’ll do no such thing.” Mueller took an offended tone. “You force your way into our home, holding our boss hostage. Then you sneak around, convincing one of our people to open our doors and allow even more soldiers inside. That sounds treasonous and doesn’t fit with the concept of earning trust.”
Lexi stopped ten yards behind the captain, her feet firmly planted on the concrete and a rifle resting comfortably in the crook of her arm. “Good to see you, too, Bryant. Want to go again?”
“Get back,” The soldier had been holding his pistol pointed toward the sky, but he leveled it at the woman’s head.
Lexi showed no signs of fear and spoke in a sultry tone. “Hey, I covered you back in Memphis. That’s got to count for something. Surely, we can make up and be friends.”
Mueller scowled over his shoulder. “Silence, Lexi. I don’t need your smart commentary right now.”
Bishop brought his pistol out and held it on the captain. The dozen soldiers, while not bothered by Bryant’s threat toward the mercenary, suddenly took offense. They raised their weapons in response, a dozen barrels trained on him.
Beads of sweat dripped down his face as he realized his mistake.
The helicopter sounds had been growing over the last minute, and Bishop lifted his eyes when a massive military chopper drifted from the forest to pass over the stone wall and hover above the courtyard. Trees bent. Leaves and Asphyxia dust flew in every direction. The two guards dove into the treeline for cover.
The chopper settled downward, blasting them with cyclonic winds trapped in the enclosed space. Bishop lowered his pistol and backed toward the side, throwing his arm up to shield his eyes.
The soldiers pointed their weapons at the machine, but the gusts made
it impossible for anyone to aim. He squinted through the howling wind at the chopper. Both crew doors were thrown aside, and the massive, mounted guns swiveled as the gunners chose their targets.
“No, put your weapons down!” Mueller shouted over the rotor noise. He turned and waved his hands to get his soldiers’ attention, and eventually they all lowered their guns as the helicopter skids touched ground. The chopper rested sideways, one .50 caliber gun covering the entrance.
The engine noise ticked down, and the winds receded, allowing people to stand normally again.
Bishop returned his pistol to his holster and waved at Mueller’s soldiers to indicate he didn’t want to fight. The cockpit door flew open, and a woman wearing a flight suit and helmet jumped out. Rifle half-raised, she surveyed the situation, taking several careful steps around the chopper’s nose before jogging toward Bryant.
The soldier had been backing up to the helicopter, keeping an eye on Lexi who only grinned at the proceedings like a kid watching a circus. Bryant met his wife in the middle of the courtyard. Instead of the embrace he would have expected to see in a fairy tale movie reunion, the pair stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for Mueller to make his move.
*
Moe peered down as they approached up the mountainside, skimming the treetops in search of the coordinates Scott Bryant had given them. The Venom’s menace and power hid the wariness of her crew.
They’d spent three days waiting for the call. Three days of scrounging and scavenging for food. Three days of redressing Randy’s wounds, trying to keep the young man alive. It had been a hellish stint, barely eating, sleeping in the crew quarters in shifts.
They’d kept the helicopter powered down in a parking lot, two on duty, two off. Seventy-two hours waiting for the call that would bring them in.
Moe had been on edge, wondering many times if the trip had been worth it. Was there really a cure? How could anyone produce enough of it to save hundreds and thousands of people? How could he possibly get it back to Chinle in time?
Spore Series | Book 5 | Torch Page 22